Hearing “that’s so gay” and “no homo” on academic outcomes for LGBQ + college students

Abstract

Heterosexist phrases on college campuses can contribute to negative consequences among lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and other sexual minority students (LGBQ+), however, their relationship to academic outcomes remains under-researched. This analysis investigates hearing the microaggressions “that’s so gay” and “no homo” on academic engagement outcomes among a national sample of cisgender sexual minority college students (n = 574). The multivariable regression analysis suggest that increased exposure to hearing “that’s so gay” and “no homo” were both significantly associated with worse academic outcomes in terms of developmental challenge (p = .002 and p < .001, respectively). Greater instances of hearing “no homo” was also associated with lower college GPA scores (p = .015). Strategies for educational institutions, faculty, and students to promote more accepting campus climates and alleviate the harmful effects of hearing these phrases are discussed.

Keywords:

• Heterosexism
• discrimination
• microaggressions
• lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer
• campus climate
• academic development
• grade point average (GPA)

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Center for Institutional Diversity, University of Michigan; the Curtis Center, School of Social Work, University of Michigan; the College of Education, Michigan State University; and Wilfrid Laurier University and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Notes on contributors

Nicole Mathies is a medical student at the University of Ottawa. Nicole’s previous research focused on participatory action and community engagement with a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting people who are infected, affected and at risk for HIV/AIDS. Presently, Nicole is involved in a variety of projects with the Department of Oncology at The Ottawa Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Todd Coleman received his PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of Western Ontario and an Honors Bachelor in Health Sciences from the University of Western Ontario. His main research focus is on population health and research methods, exploring various health issues as they differ according to sexual orientation and gender identities. These include access to health care services, chronic conditions and infectious conditions. Todd's research covers the span of these health issues as they relate to populations, families, communities, and individuals. He works with various community representatives on community-based research initiatives which assist underserved populations.

Raymond M. McKie is a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Ottawa. Raymond’s previous research was focused on issues related to gay men's sexual and emotional health and its relation to experiences in both online and offline environments. Through his previous graduate and undergraduate work, Raymond continues to participate as a co-investigator and collaborator on a wide variety of research projects. Presently, Raymond is analyzing data from a multinational project on online sexual activities.

Michael R. Woodford completed his PhD in social work at the University Toronto and received his BSW and MSW from Memorial University of Newfoundland. His research addresses the social exclusion/inclusion, wellbeing, and resilience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer (LGBTQ) people. He examines the effects of contemporary heterosexism and cisgenderism on LGBTQ people's wellbeing. He also studies LGBTQ youth empowerment, heterosexist attitudes, and support for LGBTQ civil rights. Additionally, he engages in HIV/AIDS prevention research among men who have sex with men and other vulnerable groups. Much of his recent work examines the relationship between campus climate, socio-ecological risk and protective factors and the health and academic wellbeing of LGBTQ university students.

Erin Leigh Courtice is an experimental psychology graduate student at the University of Ottawa. Erin has conducted a systematic review of the empirical literature on sexting, cybersex, and phone sex, suggesting that these activities be conceptualized within the unified construct of ‘technology-mediated sexual interactions’. Erin's doctoral research is focused on people's motivations for, and outcomes of, using technology-mediated sexual interactions in their romantic relationships. Presently, Erin is also conducting research on people's experiences with compliant and non-consensual technology-mediated sexual interactions.

Robb Travers received his PhD in Public Health Sciences from the University of Toronto, an MA in Psychology from the University of Toronto, and a BA from the University of Winnipeg. A 5-year, Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award allows Robb to explore social exclusion as a social determinant of health for gender and sexual minorities. He is the director of the Equity, Sexual Health and HIV Research Group, at Laurier's Centre for Community Research, Learning and Action. With a focus on intolerance and discrimination toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals, he conducts research on LGBT newcomers to Canada, LGBT youth, and transgender individuals. Robb also works on a number of other research initiatives focussed on sexual health issues for different populations of youth.

Kristen A. Renn is professor in the Department of Educational Administration at Michigan State University. She received her PhD in Higher Education from Boston College. Her research interests include student success and persistence and identity development in higher education; mixed race college students; women in higher education; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues in higher education. She is co-PI of the National Study of LGBTQ Student Success. She is MSU's co-liaison to the University Innovation Alliance and co-PI on several grants related to increasing success for low-income and underrepresented students. Dr. Renn has been Associate Editor for International Research and Scholarship for the Journal of College Student Development, a Senior Scholar of the ACPA-College Student Educators International, and a member of the governing boards of ACPA and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). She is President of the Association for the Study of Higher Education.